Under Thy Care
by Ramona Bandicoot
Summary: "Once a man was deemed a knight in the Cooper Order, he was then assigned to a member of the royal family. In my case, I was endowed to watch over the young princess." As his first official act as a knight, Sir Galleth has been charged of watching over the king's daughter. But is she harsh, like her father? Or a new light arising in the harsh shadow of the king? -Twoshot/Prequel-
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any Sly Cooper characters; they belong to Sucker Punch Productions/Sanzaru Games.

**Claimer:** I own all of my original characters.

_I would consider this a story that acts as both a one shot and a prequel to my Galleth story I posted so long ago. Updates have been slow for the simply fact of my lack of drive to write. But, I did feel the urge to post this. As for the stories I already have started, I may not update them for a while and I may end up abandoning them to start over and fix what I have, or rid myself of them entirely. I haven't completely decided yet, but again I did feel the want to upload this story. So, with all of that being said, I hope you will please read, review, and let me know what you think! Thanks so much! _

Under Thy Care

Nottinghamshire, England 1450 A.D.

Thunder rumbled in the distance and a lick of lightening struck past the stained glass of the nearby windows. After the flash, the sky returned to its blacked color and I was once again surrounded by the darkness of the castle walls. A few short candles were lit in various places, giving very soft illumination to the area. I quickly, yet silently, trotted along the thick carpet; trying to desperately make my way to the back of the castle without being caught, for I was already late. The Knights of the Cooper Order, who strictly and obediently protected our king and his family, had living quarters in the rear of the giant castle where we not only lived, but trained and stored our armor when the hand crafted suits weren't in use. Breathily heavily, I pressed myself against the cold stones of the wall, slipping into the shadows as our King, Hector VII, waddled as quickly as he could past me. King Hector was truly a vile man who showed no mercy to his subjects in the kingdom, which were mostly peasants. With heavy taxing, fierce guards patrolling the city, and the all around poor conditions he allowed them to live in, he had been considered the worst king England has had in a century.

No matter how cruel he was to his subjects, or his family, it was my duty to protect and serve him. But tonight was different and I was running late for my ceremonial duties. I stuck to the shadows, waiting for the horribly obese raccoon to get around me before I continued sprinting to my quarters to slip into my armor and make it to the ceremony in the great hall before the process began. A few moments passed before the tireless ruler rounded a corner and away from me. Once the man was out of range, I sprinted down the corridor. Thankfully I knew my way around the castle, having lived and trained here for most of my life to become the knight I had just recently become. With silence and fineness, I managed to slip inside my quarters.

Tonight's ceremony was the crowning moment for the king's daughter, Princess Katherine. She wasn't assuming the throne or any title of the sort, but she was assuming a higher role in the family. Her mother, the queen, was with child and expected to give birth anytime in the next fortnight. With the king, and even the entire kingdom, hoping for a son to assume the throne after King Hector passes, Katherine would be allowed to assume the title of 'Lady Katherine'. The ceremony certainly wasn't crowd worthy, but because our king loved to put on his lavish ceremonial robes, he would never miss the opportunity to put them on for an event.

As for my part in the ceremony, I was to assume the role as protector of the king's daughter. Once a man was deemed a knight in the Cooper Order, which had been established almost a century ago, he was then assigned to a member of the royal family. In my case, the royal family I served only consisted of three members and an unborn child. Because both the king and queen were already protected by friends and fellow members in the order, I was endowed to watch over the young princess. I had never met the third member of the royal family, but I had seen her in very brief snippets in my time growing up on the grounds. I didn't know much about her to be honest, only that she was under the constant watch of her mother and was never allowed to leave to castle. Being the only heir to the throne, the king was extremely aware of her every move, but now that there was the possibility of a son, he was allowing her to become more of an adult…with a constant and loyal servant to watch over her.

With great speed, I adorned myself in my newly forged armor. My boots, chainmail, breast and shoulder plating, and my helmet all fit like a glove. I quickly sheathed my sword in my belt and headed from my quarters. In mere moments I had changed into my armor and was quickly darting in the back corridors of the castle; hoping I could make it to the great hall in time for the ceremony to begin. If I were to show up late on my first night of being charged with the princess, I would certainly find my head on the execution block in the morning. Even though this is the most important moment in my knighthood yet, I did have a reason for being so late on such an important date. As cruel as the king was, I felt some duty to the people of the village as both a knight and a Cooper. I, Sir Galleth Cooper, was not only a knife, but a thief as well. I was a thief of honor however; only stealing from the overbearing, wealthy, and elite wealthy that ran the village; including the king himself. The items and money I stole from the corrupt men of the land went straight to the people of the village, hoping it would somehow ease the burden of the king's taxes.

"Hurry thy pace Galleth." I muttered to myself as I hurried down the dimly lit corridors. I tried to keep the clinking of my armor to a minimum, not wanting to alert anyone of my tardiness to the ceremony and give the king any reason to do away with me. I slid to a stop outside of the doors to the main hall. Inside I could hear the king's loud voice bellowing throughout the room, going on in the ceremony about his daughter. I carefully opened the lock on the door, sliding inside with ease and without drawing attention. I slipped between the mass of other knights, taking my place seamlessly beside my mentor, Sir Henry, who gave me a rather disapproving glare.

"We shall discuss this at a later time, Galleth." he whispered harshly. I lowered my head, feeling his disappointment, and focused on the ending ceremony ahead of me.

At the king's throne, Hector stood with a delicately crafted, white gold tiara laced with jewels in his grasp. Seated before him, on her knees with a bowed head, was his daughter. Her back was to me, so I was unable to see her face. Katherine Bandicoot was someone I had only caught glimpses of. Maybe the flick of her tail, her silhouette against the walls of the castle, and maybe a soft paw closing a door. But I had never seen her in her entirety or her face. I can never recall hearing her voice and was frankly uncertain if she favored her father or her mother. I wouldn't know if she was soft spoken and kind, like my queen, or harsh, brutal, and spoiled, like my king. I knew nothing of this young soul and I was about to be charged with her up keep and answering to her every call.

The king placed the delicate crown upon his daughters head and stepped away from her. As his daughter rose to her feet, everyone else went to their knees to show respect for our superior. With my head bowed, I was still unable to gaze upon the face of the princess. Now that the ceremony was over, the other knights of the order would leave, with the exception of myself, and I would offer my servitude to the princess in front of her father. Once that was completed, she would be in my care. With a clap of paws, the king ordered the knights to leave the room and return to their quarters before calling me forward. I rose to my feet, adjusting my armor before marching to the king on his throne. The obese raccoon seated himself in his throne, grabbing a goblet of wine in the process, and huffed. I kneeled before the king, ready to offer my life to his daughters protection.

"My king," I started, "I, Sir Galleth Cooper, member of the Knights of-"

"Save thy breath, my knight," the king barked, "There is no need for formalities why we are alone. Return my daughter to her chambers and leave me be for the remainder of the evening. Thine work will begin in the morn. Both of thee shall leave my presence immediately." With a flick of his broad paw, he waved us away.

"Yes, your Majesty." I said to him before standing. With another bow of my head I left his presence, following the slender princess ahead of me. I gave a soft trot to grab the door for the young woman. She slipped quickly through the door to the private corridor that housed the chambers of the royal family. With the door firmly closed behind us, I was finally able to gaze upon the lady of the castle.

Lady Katherine Bandicoot was, in one word, beautiful. Thin and petite, she appeared to be made of the finest porcelain. Her features were well defined, but soft around the edges and surrounded by the softest, greyest fur I had ever seen with the reddest of lips. Her long, raven hair was pulled high upon her head with her crown nestled softly in her curls. After taking in her features, I quickly remembered who I was going upon and corrected myself. I once again fell to my knees with a bow of my head.

"Milady," I said quickly, "I beg thee to forgive me, I was foolish to not-" Before I could finish, Katherine's soft voice cut me off.

"Tis alright, Sir Knight. Thou hast nothing to beg my forgiveness for. Thou hast done nothing wrong." Still kneeling, I looked up to the raccoon, my eyes gazing into her deep, rich orbs.

"Thou may stand, if thou wishes," I nodded, returning to my feet. Katherine stood straight, her paws folded neatly against her soft, golden dress.

"I thank thee, Milady." she blushed softly, briefly avoiding my gaze until she regained her composure.

"Well, my Sir Knight, may I have thou name? Father neglected to tell me and, well, I would much like to address thee by the correct name."

"Galleth, your Majesty. Galleth Cooper." she nodded quickly, learning my name.

"Sir Galleth Cooper," my name flowed from her crimson lips with ease, "I am grateful to be in thine care." her smile was soft and warm, the complete opposite of her father's icy, hateful scowl.

"And tis an honor to serve the lady of the castle." she giggled, quickly shielding the lovely sound with a paw.

"The lady," she repeated, "I hast never been addressed as a lady before. It may take time to become accustomed to the title."

"Tis a glorious title for thee, Milady. I'm sure it will fit thee well." she bowed as thanks and tucked a soft curl behind her ear.

"Shall I escort thee to thy chambers, Lady Katherine?" she nodded softly before I offered my arm to her. Her gentle paws grasped my arm lightly, almost hesitantly.

"Is everything alright, Madame?" her gaze quickly turned to mine as she stumbled for words.

"Why yes," she eventually spoke, "I just…tis nothing, Sir Galleth. I am just feeling fatigued. I would just wish to return to my chambers." I bowed to her request and started to escort her down the long, winding hallway. We strolled slowly in the dark light, being careful to not take a wrong turn in the maze of a castle. We passed through a corridor with many windows that gazed upon the gardens, when the sun was shining, of course. But at night, the hallway was dark and damp. A flash of lightening shot across the sky, briefly illuminating our pathway and made the princess jump. She glanced outside the windows as we strolled by them before turning her soft gaze to me once more.

"Sir Galleth," she spoke quietly, "Tomorrow, if the weather is faring, dost thou think we could stroll through the gardens? I hast never been in them and have always wish to walk through the beautiful flowers."

"Of course, Milady. We may do whatever thy heart desires. Tis no need to ask me, Lady Katherine, I am at your service." she nodded before we continued the escort.

"Yes," she said with furred eyebrows, "you're right. Forgive me, Sir Galleth. I hast not grown accustomed to giving orders. Father is the one who would normally determine how I shall spend each day."

"Take thine time, Lady Katherine. I am certain that in time thou shalt find thy confidence in giving orders." she nodded slowly, not exactly in the happiest form, but nodded.

A few moments later, we arrived at the entrance to Lady Katherine's bed chambers and we would soon part ways. Katherine released my arm, quickly smoothing her dress over with her palms before opening the door. She turned to me before entering and wished me a goodnight. I replied to her with a small bow and stayed at the door until she had entered and shut the heavy oak surface. I sighed deeply to myself as I left the entrance to her room and headed towards my barracks. It had been a stressful evening, having to be sure I wasn't late to the most important ceremony I'd ever face, praying that Katherine was nothing like her father, and now remembering the lecture I'd have to face from Sir Henry for being late. I had know as a child that becoming a knight would be stressful, yet rewarding, but this certainly wasn't what I had in mind.

I pulled my helmet from my head and ran my fingers through my short hair as I finally entered my living quarters. I placed said helmet, and the bulk of my armor, on the dummy in the corner and sat on my cot. My dwelling was in the end of the barracks, giving me a bit of privacy from my fellow knights coming in and out throughout the entirety of the day. With a tired sigh, I stretched out on my humble bed, staring at the ceiling as my fingers pushed and prodded the itchy hay back inside the cloth on which I lay. The barracks for the Knights of the Cooper Order were nothing when compared to the sleeping quarters for the king's royal guards. We were destined to sleep in the back of the castle on hay cots, surrounded by cold and damp stone with a single candle for illumination. The royal guards however, were each given a room within the heart of the castle with soft bed, thick wool blankets to sleep under and a goose feather pillow to rest their heads on. Half a century ago, my Knights were the ones within the castle to keep watch and sleep in peace for the night. However, when King Hector came to power nearly twenty-five years ago, a mere two years before my own birth, he replaced the Knights of the Cooper Order with his own personalized guards who took our place. We were thankfully still employed in the castle, but were give conditions that weren't fit to house the village sheep, let alone valiant and hard working knights.

As a young boy, I had grown up on my father's stories of the glory and valor a knight in the castle high upon the hills of Nottinghamshire. He himself was a knight in he order and when I was old enough, I would begin my training; which I did. Exactly how I did so wasn't the way I had expected. Mother had died when I was a mere babe and was raised by father. However, when I had first begun my training to become a squire, he had perished in the battle to defend the castle from the enemies of the king. Being a young lad with no father, I became the apprentice of a fellow knight in the Order who would raise me in his image and teach me the ways of being a knight. My old friend, Sir Henry, was charged with the order of not only raising and training me, but being the watcher of the Queen, Isabel, and her newborn daughter; who I was now in charge of watching over.

"Sir Galleth," Henry's voice snapped me from my thoughts, "I request a talk with thee." I sat up from my cot, offering a seat to the aging knight. With the raise of his paw, Sir Henry Williams denied my request and stood at the end of my cot, placing a foot on the edge for leverage. The greying wolf ran his fingers through his beard before finally speaking.

"The stunt thou pulled this evening was quite a risky one, Galleth. Going out and stealing on the very night Lady Katherine was crowned and placed in thine care. Dost thou realize that if thou had been caught coming in late then they head would be resting not eh executioners block in a mere hours?"

"I was very aware of my actions, Henry. I made sure that no other man saw me in the corridors and I managed to return to the Lady's ceremony before our king called for me."

"Galleth, my boy," he said with a sigh, "Thou must be more accountable for thine actions. Thou art no longer a quire, thou art a knight. There is a higher sense of responsibility that now rests upon thine shoulders and a very life had now ben place in thine's grasp. Thou cannot frolic around now that Lady Katherine is under thine protection."

"I do indeed realize this, Sir Henry, and I will give m life to protect the princess."

"Indeed thy will. If thou messes up then not only will you be punished by the king, but I shall as well, considering I have trained thee." I nodded, realizing that what he said was true.

"Now," he said as he seated himself upon the end of my bed, "there are a few things about Princess Katherine that thou must know."

"Do tell," I said as I turned to face him.

"To begin, I hast been in charge of the queen and her daughter for many years now, before I took thee under my wing. Thou must understand that the princess is a kind, gentle soul who hast been sheltered her entire life. Katherine has never know the joy of having a true friend, other than her maids, and is a naive young woman who knows not much about the outside world and how to survive. Tis your duty to protect this delicate flower from the dangers of the outside world. Including any danger she may find within thyself."

"I beg your pardon, Henry, but I dost not believe I am comprehending." he leaned forward, his voice low and gravely.

"Tis no secret, Galleth, that thou has been known to frolic around with the scullery maids of the castle." I was taken back by his statement, despite the truth behind them.

"Sir Henry, I would never-" he simply raised a paw to silence me.

"I know thou would never indulge your needs with the princess, but thou must realize that no matter what, things can always be said against thee. If thou makes even the simplest of mistakes, all the princess would have to do is claim that thou hast done something horrid and thy neck shall face the block. Dost thou understand?"

"Aye, I understand."

"Very well," he claimed as he stood, "Not that the princess would do such a thing. I hast known her since she was a swaddling babe; she is too kind to do so. I am also very certain that she will indeed make a fine ruler one day."

"Well maybe the queen will produce a male and the young princess will have no need to take her father's throne." Henry sighed, running his fingers over his mustache again.

"Do not get thy hopes up, Galleth. T'would be a miracle if the queen could do so." I furred my brows at him.

"A miracle, Sir Henry?" he nodded slowly, a grim look upon his face.

"Let us face the facts Galleth," he whispered, "our queen hast been with child eight times now, not including the child she is with now. Queen Isabel and King Hector only have one child; Katherine. All of the others hast either been stillborn or our dear queen hast lost the babe halfway through her term. The likelihood Katherine will have a young brother, or sister, is about as likely of happening as it would be for me to become Merlin the Sorcerer. Our princess will indeed take the throne with the time comes and it is thees responsibility to make sure she is ready." he walked to the threshold of my bed chambers, "Now get sleep, Sir Galleth Cooper, thou hast a long day ahead of thee."

"Sir Henry!" I called after the aging wolf, who ducking his head back inside my room, "The princess wishes to venture into yonder gardens in the morn; t'would this be acceptable to do so?"

"Well of course! Heaven knows the poor girl needs to escape this dank castle. She hast never stepped foot from this place, it would do her good." I nodded as he left before stretching back out on my cot, ready to slip into slumber.

The following morning, I readied myself in my armor and stopped outside the door of Lady Katherine. The clock tower in the village, which could be heard from the castle, had just sounded the time for nine; the standard time the royal family left their chambers. With a brisk knock on her door, I alerted the princess to my presence outside her chambers. Mere moments later, the door cracked open and the soft face of the princess appeared. I bowed my head as she left her quarters and lifted my head only the sound of her door closing filled my ears.

"Milady," I said as we started strolling from her chambers, "Did thou sleep well?" she glanced up to me with a brief nod.

"Indeed I did, Sir Galleth. And did thou do the same?" with a small smile I answered.

"Aye. Dost thou still wish to see the gardens this fine morning, or shall thee prefer to visit the great hall for a meal."

"Oh, I hast already enjoyed my meal. I wake each morn before the sun rises and tend to my morning needs, including a meal. But I do thank thee for thy considerations. But I do wish to visit the gardens, if thou will allow it."

"Dear princess, thou dost not need to ask for permission. I am at thy service, remember?" she shook her head and scoffed.

"Do forgive me, I will need to grow accustomed to my need for authority." I stepped in front of her and opened the door, allowing her to, for the first time, step inside the gardens of the outside world. I heard her gasp as I closed the door behind us. I turned to the young princess and found myself smiling as she looked around her at the flowers and crisp, blue sky.

"Such beauty," she whispered as she lifted a delicate finger to touch the blossom of a small daisy, "yet such a small object to be contained inside."

"Thou hast never visited the gardens, Milady?" I asked her once she shifted her gaze to another plant.

"Oh, no. Father would never allow me. I was to stay inside the castle, away from the dangers of the outside world. But, now that mother is expecting any day, he hast allow me to have more freedom. As long as thou is with me, of course."

"Well, I promise thee that I shall always be thy side and will never let anything nor anyone harm thee." she smiled, a small blush forming as she roamed the outdoor garden.

"Would thee also wish to explore the meadow today as well, Milady?" she turned to me, lightly confused.

"The meadow? I wasn't aware there was one on the grounds."

"But of course! The meadow is where the horses graze, the vegetables are grown, where the flowers come from…tis just over yonder hill." I pointed to the crest of a nearby hill.

"May we?" she asked cautiously. I smiled, walking next to her before picking a morning glory from a stem.

"As you wish, Lady Katherine," I handed her the flower and she took it with a slight tilt of her head, "But thou shall need this as a payment."

"A payment?" I offered my arm to her and she took it gracefully.

"Thou shall see, Princess." we strolled casually from the gardens towards the far side of the castle.

Our walk was slow, as Katherine took her time taking in the scenery of the rolling green pastures of the castle grounds. She still held the flower in her grasp, curious as to why she would need the small flower. Again, the fair maiden gasped again as we approached the horse stables. I took her to the gates, where a special white horse lazily hung its head over the gate. Katherine was cautious, hesitant to approach the gentle creatures.

"Hast thou never seen a horse before, Lady Katherine?" she shook her head slowly, her crown glinting in the sunlight.

"Well, not this close at least. I often watch mother and Sir Henry gallop along these grounds from the window, but I hast never been so close to one."

"Well, if though wishes to visit the meadow, thou shalt need to ride one."

"Ride a horse?" she almost shouted. I nodded, motioning for her to step closer.

"Indeed. Ride a horse. But, thou hast no need for worry. I shall ride with thee, slowly, and make sure thou art safe. But before we do so, thou must meet thy mighty steed." I could see she was hesitant still.

"Milady?" I offered my paw to her and she placed her delicate, slender hand in the palm of my gloved one. Slowly, I brought her paw to the muzzle of the horse, placing it gently upon the steed. I released her paw and she slowly drug her paw along the nose of the horse.

"Such a gentle creature," she murmured, "Dost thou have much experience on a horse, Sir Galleth?"

"I do," I said as I trapped the reigns, "I have ridden a horse for as long as I can remember. Tis a simply task, all thy have to do is hold on."

"I hast always dreamed of riding the fields upon a horse," she said softly, almost a whisper.

"Then why don't thou start now?" she stroked the nose of the horse, again and again.

"Only if thou shalt teach me." I smiled as well and agreed.

"Now, thou must offer thy mighty steed with a gift before thou can ride it." I gave her a wink as she help up her morning glory. I nodded and directed her on what to do next.

"Now, held out thy paw," she did as I directed and I grasped it gently. I slowly inched her paw forward toward the mouth of the horse. She was lightly apprehensive, but when the horse gently pulled the flower from her grasp, she was ecstatic. She giggled as the horse munched on the flower and snorted softly.

"Sir Galleth, doth the horse have a name?" she asked as I had started preparing a second horse for the journey.

"Well," I started as the second horse slowly sauntered from the stable, "the other knights and I tend to just call them by their stable number. For this one," I pointed to the one I had, "is two and thine is one. Simple." she scoffed as I took the reigns of her horse and started leading him out.

"One and two? Well, call them what thy wishes but I insist that all creatures have proper names such as you and I."

"Shall thee wish to name him, Milady?" I asked as I roped the two horses together so they would not stray away.

"I shall have to think of a name, Sir Galleth." I turned to her and offered to help her mount the horse.

"Take thy time, Milady, take thy time." I took her grasp in my own and instructed her to take the reigns of the horse. She did so and I knelt to the ground, offering my paw to her. Gingerly, she placed her foot in my grasp and I slowly hoisted her into the saddle. Once she was secure, I mounted my own horse and we started our trot to the meadow. Katherine clutched the reigns tightly, fearing she would fall, but once she became accustomed to the swaying of the saddle, she began to relax and enjoy the ride.

"Lady Katherine," I called to her after a long moment of silence, "art thou alright? Thou hast been quiet since we left the stables."

"Oh," she said as if she was snapped from a trance, "I am alright. I just…I just hope that we can have other days such as this." I slowed the trotting of the horses.

"We can have them whenever thou wishes, your Majesty. Why dost thou think they will be no more?"

"Oh Sir Galleth I must be honest with thee, tis mother. Last night, after thee left me in my quarters, mother started bleeding. We were up for most of the night, but to no avail," her eyes watered as she spoke, "The queen hast lost the baby."

"My dear princess, thou hast my deepest regrets and sincerity." Sir Henry was correct, there would be no baby.

"Thank thee, Sir Galleth," she said, "and I have sympathy for mother, but father dost not know yet. Mother remains locked away in her chamber. And I fear that when he doth discover the baby is lost, I fear that he will lock me away again. I know, this seems selfish, but I hast spent my entire life locked away in the castle…and I do not wish to stay locked away again. I fear also that I shall be discharged from thy care. And if I may say, even though I hast only been under thy watch for a single moon, I hast grown to enjoy thine company." My company? The princess of the castle hast already grown to enjoy my company? The maiden as fair as porcelain hast already made that decision?

"Milady, I hast the deepest sincerity for thy loss, but I feel confident that thy father will allow thee to remain in my care. However, if he does restrict thee to the castle, then I swear that I shall make every day of thine life as best as it can be." she gave a soft smile again, tucking a raven curl behind her ear.

The sun was high in the sky by the time we reached the meadow. I helped the princess dismount her horse and I tied the two to a nearby tree. I turned and chuckled when I noticed Katherine giving long, flowing twirls in the grass; her dress swooping through the warm air with ease. She was free from the restrictions of the castle, her father, her royal duties; she was free. As she spun and reached down to brush the grass along her finger tips, the sound of her melodious voice filled the meadow. A soft, light hearted song came from the young princess and she eventually came to a stop at the base of the tree the where the horses were mounted.

"Sir Galleth, may I confess something to thee?" she asked as she smoothed out her dress and offered me a seat beside her.

"Why of course, Milady, thou may tell me anything your heart desires."

"Well, I must admit that I was quite reluctant about yesterday. I was unsure about being assigned to a knight. I hast seen the way Sir Henry treats my mother; with respect and dignity, the way she should be treated. But I feared that I would not be as fortunate. I fear that I would be assigned to one of the dreadful guards my father put all his faith in. But, I must admit that once I met thee, and saw that thou came from the Cooper Order, I was overfilled with joy. The Knights of the Cooper Order are truly the only knights that art honest and true; thou art a true knight, Sir Galleth. I am glad to be in thy care; I trust thee." I was astounded. I honestly expected the princess to be stubborn, stuck up, and rude, but she was the opposite. She was kind, sweet, beautiful…a pleasure to have as the princess.

"Tis a true honor for thy words, Princess Katherine. Thou art too kind to me." she smiled and softly stroked the grass beneath her.

"Honestly, Sir Galleth, considering our circumstances," she glanced up to me, "with me being under thy care, thou may just call me Katherine, if thy wishes."

"T'would be a great honor, Milady, but I do feel that I must hold my values close, and only address thee by thy titles." she gave another smile and nodded.

"Thou art indeed a true gentleman, my brave Sir Knight, and I shall respect thy decision. Although my offer shall always stand." I gave a bow of my head to the princess in gratitude and we continued to sit beneath the tree, enjoying the sunny, warm afternoon.

I assisted Lady Katherine in mounting her horse once more so we may return to the castle. We strode together as the sun started to set, Katherine humming softly to herself.

"Where dost though wish to go tomorrow, dear Princess?" she paused, thinking to herself.

"I am unsure. I hast heard talk of rain tomorrow, so I was thinking of touring the castle. After all, I do tend to only reside in one wing. Maybe we could visit the upper levels."

'Tis an area I hast never ventured to. I hast never had to reason to be there." she looked to me, gripping her reigns.

"Then we surely must visit there! Tis quite nice. Filled with the crests, crowns, and other artifacts of past kings."

"Now, Milady, I do not with to force thee to a place thou dost not wish to go. Tis thine word on where we shall visit."

"Then I do insist we visit, Sir Galleth. I am in charge of thee, after all." she gave me a small wink and smile and I returned hers as well.

"Shall thee join me for dinner?" she asked. As a knight, I would never be allow to eat with the royal family.

"I could only be there to guard thee, Princess." she sighed, realizing this truth.

"Indeed, but maybe thou may guard the table, and we may then visit the gardens again; watch the moon before I must retire to my chambers and thee to thy quarters?"

"Sounds like a glorious idea, Lady Katherine of Nottinghamshire. I would be honored to do so." she smiled, straightening her posture on her horse.

"Then full speed ahead, Sir Galleth!" she shouted with a beautifully white smile.

"As thou wishes, Milady." with a flick of the reigns, our horses started galloping back to the castle. With the wind in my face and a smile crossing Katherine's lips, I felt in my heart that we would indeed make a terrific team.


	2. Chapter 2: The Hidden Staircase

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any Sly Cooper characters; they belong to Sucker Punch Productions/Sanzaru Games.

**Claimer:** I own all of my original characters.

_To start off, I wish to thank GoldenAlpha101 for the request to add a second chapter to this story. But as a quick reference I do want to point out the dates. The year is different than what is shown in the fourth Sly game, but that is because I first write my original Sir Galleth story before the release of the game and had to estimate the year. But, to keep it concise with my previous story, this follows the dates of my story, not the game. I also wanted to point out that I have a poll open on my profile so I can get an idea of what kind of oneshots readers may want to see. I currently am not accepting full stories because I am so busy with school work. I don't want to take on a full story and never find the time or will to write it. I am, however, accepting oneshot ideas, so if you would please head to my profile and participate in my poll I would greatly appreciate it! But I do hope that you will read and review this story and let me know how it turned out! Thanks!_

Chapter 2: The Hidden Staircase

Nottinghamshire, England 1450 A.D.

With fluid motion, the quill and ink danced across the yellowing parchment. In small, straight lines, words were written with such care and patience one would think it was the beginnings of a great legal document that would be used to change the lives of the people of England and not just a mere list for the memory. Soft, beautiful humming accompanied the delicate grasp that held the large feather. Princess Katherine sat with grace and dignity as she made her small list of herbs that needed to be picked this morning.

We sat together quietly, aside from her humming, in a small room in the front of the castle that was used as a medicinal center for treating both the royal members of the family as well as the knights and other servants of the castle. Katherine herself was in charge of taking care of the sick and keeping the room supplied with enough herbs to treat any that entered. As the knight charged to keep an eye on her, I would be with her now regardless, but at this moment in time, my dear princess was also my caretaker. Over the past few days I had taken ill, given the fair amounts of rain that had fallen as of late, and required her skills as a woman of medicine. As the princess, Katherine was only expected to learn the basics; sewing and looking presentable. But Katherine was a woman of many talents. She knew how to sew, mend, read, write, understand highly intellectual conversations, and was very well versed in the medicinal arts.

She stood after putting her quill away and went to the fire, carefully removing the boiling water from the flame and placing the heavy kettle on the cool stones. Her attention turned to me, her soft paws running along my face, feeling for whatever symptoms she needed to determine. Her thumbs ran back and forth slowly, feeling my cheeks and temples for any imperfections. Her first fingers went to my throat, pressing into my flesh just below the jawbone.

"Slippery elm and marigold," she said softly as she turned to her table and slid two jars forward, each labeled with the herbs she had just spoken. The backs of her fingers were the next to press into my face, her cool skin throbbing against my own and she whispered more ingredients and pulled the corresponding jars forward; lemon balm, peppermint, and sage. The young woman next inspected my eyes, which were swollen and puffed from my coughing.

"Root of yam," she said simply as she plucked a long, brown root from an open jar and placed it beside her other jars.

I froze when her soft, crimson lips pressed themselves against my forehead and lingered. Feeling it was not appropriate for a young princess to kiss a mere knight, I almost pulled away in protest when it dawned on me that she was using the outside of her lips; the same way a mother checks her swaddling babe for a fever. She then pulled two more jars from her collection, labeled buckthorn and ginseng. As a knight, I had no experience with medicinal herbs and was quite unsure if I truly needed all the ones she had currently presented in order to make me well again, but I knew Lady Katherine was well versed in what she was doing and I trusted her. I wasn't, however, truly in favor of the room we were in; smelled of and felt too much like a witches den for my liking.

Although it was nearly mid morning and the sun was shining brightly outside, the room we were enclosed in was very small and rather dark. All the curtains had been drawn, making the room appear rather dark aside from the lit candles and roaring fire behind me. The room itself smelled dead grass and decomposing matter and a hint of smokiness from the wood burning in the fire. In the room lay a long table filled with bottles of strangely colored liquids to pots of freshly growing plants and small jars of dried herbs and assorted leaves. A single bed was positioned in the center of the room, fitted with a blanket and feather pillow. Men who were gravely wounded in battle or those who needed a limb removed were placed in the bed to heal; many of those men never rose after they reclined.

Once again, Katherine surprised me by kneeling beside me. She pulled back the front of my shirt, revealing my bare chest, before pressing an ear in the center, listening to my heart pound away inside. After a moment of silent listening, she regained her posture and repositioned my shirt. Standing on her toes, she reached high up on the shelves and pulled out a large jar of chamomile from the shelf and placed it with the others.

"Is there an issue with my heart, Milady?" I asked nervously, fearing my illness was more than a simple cold.

"Nay," she said with a smile, "thou nerves just need soothing." I watched as the picked and poured various amounts of each herb from their jars and placed them in the rather large mortar and pestle on the table.

"Sir Galleth," she chirped as she started peeling the yam root with a knife, "what hast thou been doing in order to conjurer an illness?"

"T'was the word of thine father, dear Lady. I was ordered to relay a message to yonder village three nights back. T'was raining heavily as I returned and I am afraid I caught my cold there, Madame." she huffed with a roll of her eye as she finished peeling the root and cutting a sizable chunk from the rest of the root.

"If father wanted a message relayed I feel he should rely on his 'proper knights', not the only one charged with looking after his daughter and who is one of the few that actually know what it means to have the title of 'knight'." she handed me the root, instructing me to eat it, and sighed.

"Forgive me, Sir Galleth, I should not speak ill of father." I simply bowed my head, and she returned to he herbs, using the mortar and pestle to grind the leaves and berries into a fine powder.

After all the ingredients were to her liking, she poured the powder into a small square of fine cheesecloth and tied them in a small bundle with a bit of twine before placing it in a teacup. Her humming continued as she took the hot kettle from the floor and filled the cup with the scalding water. The bundle of herbs sat submerged inside and the pungent smell of the herbs hit my nose fiercely. A combination of sweet, bitter, sour, and earthy scents quickly filled the room and I found my nose crinkling in disgust. It would certainly be an unpleasant drink, but Katherine was firm when she said she would make me well again. She sat down once again and resumed her writing as we waited for the tea to steep in the cup. It had only been a little over a week since I had been charged to look over Katherine's well being, but I must say that our friendship had progressed rather quickly. When we first met, she was rather shy and timid, afraid to do something without my approval; which was the opposite of what she was supposed to do as the princess. She still keeps mostly to herself and asks me questions frequently about the events of the day ahead, but she has improved as of late. When it is simply the two of us, her lips can often be found in a small smile and she acts much like a young woman would.

She finished her list moments later and replaced the quill in the ink well, briefly running down the parchment with a slender finger. Then, her attention turned once again to my concoction of various herbs and berries. Katherine removed the bag from the cup, giving it a light squeeze with her fingers so every bit of herbal remedy made it into the cup. With a final bit of care and attention to the cup of tea, she added a little bit of honey to the mixture, to hopefully make it taste much better than it smelled. With a soft smile, she handed me the cup and I proceeded to drink. To my surprise, the liquid wasn't all bad. It tasted mostly of honey, mint, and lemon.

"I do indeed thank thee much, Milady." I said after a few sips of my drink.

"Good, although I hope it is not too foul; t'was quite a mix thou needed." she spoke as she cleaned her table, returning jars to their correct places.

"Tis splendid! I must say Milady, thou must be the best midwife in the village." she turned to me briefly with a roll of her splendid eyes.

"Oh Sir Galleth thou flatters me too much. Although I must agree with thee," she said with a quick giggle, "I hast been learning the properties of these herbs since I was a mere child; after all my childhood wasn't filled with many childish antics. T'was mostly filled with geography, the proper etiquette of a princess, how to cure and mend, and, what father hast called the most important, how to respect the divinity of the king." she shot me an annoyed glare as she finished her cleaning, telling me she was not a believer in the divinity of kings as chosen prophets of someone mightier; the divine rights of kings I believe is what it is called. Katherine Bandicoot seated herself gently on a nearby stool, smoothing out the layers of her gown as she did. She thoughtlessly spun her fingers through one of the two sections of bands that hung loose from her bun, humming to herself the entire time.

"Well, Milady," I said as I finished off my tea and placed the cup on the table, "what dost thou wish to do today?" Katherine pulled her fingers from her hair and simply shrugged.

"I had wish to visit the meadow again, to restock the medicine jars, but thou art ill and I wish to not worsen it by dragging thee alongside me." I quickly leapt to my feet, offering a paw out to the seated princess.

"T'is gobbledygook! I must say I am feeling much better after thine tea and I would be honored to escort thee and may we sally forth!" I spoke excitedly, wanting to show the princess that I would stay by her side, even if my health wasn't at its fullest. She eyed my warily, but eventually a smile broke through and she accepted my gesture, placing her delicate paw in my own as I helped her rise from her seat. After grabbing the parchment she had written on earlier along with a small satchel, we set off from the medicinal room and out the back of the castle, headed towards the lush green meadow on the castle grounds.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Now Sir Galleth, if thou art not well enough then by all means please come down!" Katherine shouted up at me as I climbed a sturdy stock of a nearby tree.

"Nonsense, Milady! T'is just a small climb!" I called down to the princess. As we had finished collecting Katherine's herbs, she had spotted a fireball in the tree above. After expressing her absolute fondness of the bulbs, I insisted on getting one for her. And so, I was now rather high in a tree collecting a plant that I had never heard of for the hopeful possibility of making Katherine smile. With a grunt, I quickly swung my family's ancestral cane across the top of the bulb, severing it from the stem. I started working my way down the stem when the fire bulb landed on the ground with a thud. As I touched the ground with my feet, Katherine had already stooped down and retrieved the bulb.

"Milady," I called to her, "I must ask, what is so special of this plant?" she gave a soft smile and strolled elegantly to a tree. With only a fluid curl of her finger, she called me to her.

"I shall show thee," she said in but a whisper. Katherine gently placed the bulb inside the hollowed knot of the tree. Within moments, the knot was filled with a soft, orange glow being emitted from the bulb.

"They art called fire bulbs for their light. As thou can see, they emit a beautiful glow, much like a candle, but…more beautiful," she glanced to me, biting her lip with a playful glint to her eye, "and if thou were to mix the inside of the bulb with a bit of magic power from yonder carnival, then thou would have the most powerful of explosives." I laughed loudly, certainly not expecting a princess of the castle to know about explosives.

"Milady, where ever did thou learn such a thing?" she chuckled and started to walk away, taking great steps as she did so.

"T'is a secret, Sir Galleth." she said with a quick wink. I trotted behind her, leaving the bulb in the tree, as I followed the princess to the shallow stream at the base of the meadow. Katherine crouched down, starting at the water.

"Art there ever any fish in the stream, Sir Galleth?" she asked after a moment's silence.

"Certainly!" I proclaimed as I seated myself beside her, "One just hast to be patient to find one." with this, she plopped down on the bank and watched the stream with a tilted head, waiting for a fish to swim by.

"I would call this a rather sentimental moment, Sir Knight," Katherine mentioned after a long silence between us, "but I dost suspect thou hast brought many a women to this very stream." I chuckled, shaking my head as I plucked a small flower from the Earth.

"T'is nonsense, Milady! If I were to be rather honest with thee, I hast never visited this spot with anyone, let alone a fair maiden or woman of the night."

"Not even your betrothed?" with this, a gave a greater laugh as I twirled the yellow flower betwixt my fingers.

"Lady Katherine I must tell thee," I glanced to her, "I hast no dearly beloved."

"Thou hast no woman who hast thy heart and has made claim to thy affections?" I simply shook my head and pointed upwards towards the sky.

"Only the Mother above, princess. I hast not found the proper girl I would wish to marry." she nodded slowly, returning her gaze to the river.

"Forgive me, Sir Galleth, t'was not something I should have asked." with a gentle smile, I handed the delicate flower to Katherine, who took it graciously.

"Ask away, dearest Katherine."

Our moment was broken with the heavy clopping of hooves could be heard approaching. We looked to the south, back towards the castle, to notice Sir Henry, my old friend, come galloping towards us on his horse. Lightly out of breath with he finally approached, Henry gave a smile and a quick bow of his head to the princess. Katherine returned the favor and when his head arose he gave a quick nod of recognition to me before stating his business.

"Lady Katherine," the wolf spoke, " I do indeed hate to interrupt thee, but thy father hast requested for me to find thee and return you to the castle immediately. He wishes to speak with thee on something most urgent."

"What dost he wish to speak of, Sir Henry?" Katherine asked gently, but with suspicion etched across her features.

"I know not, dear princess, for he did not say. I was simply given my orders." she nodded, straightening her dress.

"Very well, I shall see him." she turned to me briefly, telling me she would need assistance mounting the horse. She grasped Henry's arm firmly and used the grip to pull herself up as I lifted the foot she had placed in my paws. Once she was firmly seated behind the knight, her fingers gripped the shoulder plates of his armor tightly.

"Oh, and Sir Galleth," he called to me, "His Majesty hast also wish me to tell thee that thou art relieved of thine duties this evening. Thou shalt not need to watch Katherine this evening." I was slightly taken back by the order of the king, but I could not refuse. I simply nodded to my friend in acceptance.

"I shall most certainly adhere to His Majesty's orders. I bid thee farewell, Henry and Lady Katherine. Shall I see thee in the morn?" Katherine nodded silently and I bowed my head to the princess.

"Good day, my friend!" Henry said with his usual smile before clicking the reigns to his horse and quickly galloping back to the castle with the princess holding to his armor tightly.

Once Sir Henry and Lady Katherine were out of sight, I replaced my helmet upon my head and began my journey to return back to the castle. Even though my friend told me my services were no longer required for the day, I had already determined that I would stop by her chamber later to be sure that everything was truly alright. Night had fallen and the full, bright moon was high in the sky, painting everything nearby in a soft glow. I stooped down to pick up the bag of herbs we had collected when I noticed Katherine had left her fire bulb in the tree. After all the trouble I had gone to get it, and Katherine's favoritism towards it, I dared not leave it behind. Reaching into the nook of the old tree, my grasped the strange bulb and pulled it into the cool night air.

The bulb was warm to the touch and now glowing in the moonlight. I held it in my paws, momentarily taking in the simplistic beauty of a plant I had not known existed until a few hours ago before placing it in the bag with the rest of Katherine's herbs. After placing the satchel over shoulder, I started the trek up the meadow hill back toward the castle. The castle itself was a half hour walk from where Katherine and I had gone so it would be late into the night before I would be inside. As I walked uphill, I began to think about what the king needed Katherine for so suddenly. It was rare, from what I had both seen and been told from Henry, King Hector never really paid much attention to his daughter. He was much too busy focusing on obtaining a son as an heir and generally left Katherine in the hands of her mother and now me. She had been fearing that because her mother recently lost her baby, Katherine would be put back under strict control, meaning she couldn't leave the castle and quite possibly be placed back in the care of her mother. Which of course if that happened, I would lose my assignment within the castle and lose any contact with Katherine. Although it had been a short time since I was first assigned over her, I hast grown rather fond of the princess and quite enjoyed her company.

Time passed rather quickly and soon enough I was stepping through the back entrance of the castle and heading towards the knight's quarters where I slept. Being such a late hour, many of my fellow members of the Knights of the Cooper Order had already gone to bed, Henry included. With great care and silence, I slipped into my bunk where I changed from my armor into more comfortable clothing. I hung my heavy armor upon the rack before briefly sitting on my cot, taking a brief break before I would return to check on Katherine.

With great silence, I stood from my cot, took the bag with me, and slipped out of the room, careful not to wake anyone near me. I wasn't quite sure where the princess was, considering I had not seen her for a few hours, so I quickly decided that I would check her bed chambers first. Katherine's chambers were on the opposite side of the castle as my own, meaning I'd have to sneak my way around the dimly lit corridors to find her. The castle was silent, with most of its residents probably sleeping, which caused both advantages and disadvantages. On the bright side, I would more than likely be able to hear it if she happened to be close by, but that could easily be said about me if someone were to catch me prowling the castle halls this late. I rounded a corner and came to the back corridor of the great hall where the royal family would eat dinner in painful tension. The hall caught my attention, however, for I could hear the roaring of the rather large king. Pressing myself against the wall, I listened to the ranting's of the king, fearing Katherine was the one subjected to his rant. King Hector, from the slurring of his voice, was heavily intoxicated, which wasn't much of a surprise, and more than likely something small had set his temper ablaze.

"Thou art nothing but a disgrace to this kingdom!" he roared through the thick stone walls, "A louse! A vermin! Thine title should be stripped from thee and I should have thee living as a scullery maid! I shutter at the very thought of having thou as a daughter!"

"Father, please-" Katherine was certainly the target of the king's bellowing.

"Thou shalt address me as king! Maybe thou would be more inclined to treat me with such respect as your ruler if thou did! T'is obvious if I am thine father, thou hast the audacity to disregard my orders for thee!"

"Father, I meant thee no disrespect." her voice was shaky, trembling in fear of her very father.

"No, enough!" I myself jumped when the sound of flesh hitting flesh, presumably the back of the king's paw hitting Katherine's cheek, followed by a surprised shriek of Katherine, and a final sound of a body impacting the cold floor sounded in the corridor. I pressed myself tightly against the wall, blending in with the shadows to avoid being spotted in the possibility of someone coming to investigate the commotion.

"Thou shalt listen! Thou shall do as I say. Dost thou realize what will happen to my kingdom if thou were to refuse? We would be finished! Once I cease to exist another man will take my throne and rule this glorious country under another coat of arms! And I shall be damned if I ever allow thee, a harlot, to take over my throne!" silence filled the room behind me and I strained to listen. Moments passed by slowly, trudging along slowly as I awaited for someone to speak from the room.

"Leave my presence!" the king hissed after the long pause, "I had better not see thee for the rest of the evening! Leave!" a shriek quickly followed, Katherine's of course, followed by more shuffling.

I tensed against the wall as the door to the dining hall was quickly thrown open and the shadows of Katherine and the king danced against the wall. With a cry of pain and a heavy thud, Katherine was roughly thrown onto the floor of the hallway. She landed in a crumpled heap, landing roughly on her side with a groan. She lifted her head, a cut visible on her cheek, and looked to her father pleadingly. Katherine shielded her face as Hector hurled a large goblet of wine at his daughter before screaming at her to leave again. She quickly bunched her dress in her fists and stood, promptly bolting down the corridor. I lost sight of her around a corner and once her father slammed the great doors closed, I took off after her.

Silently, I ran through the dark hallways, twisting and turning through the winding walls. I quickly realized that I was in an unfamiliar part of the castle. As a knight, I usually had free reign of the castle, but there were still place I wasn't allowed to enter and this was certainly one of them. I wanted to call after Katherine, but I feared I would draw attention to myself and be forced to leave her in a moment of great need. The walls were covered with tapestries and portraits of the royal family past and present. There were fewer torches along the walls, making it more and more difficult to chase down the fleeing princess. As I ran, I noted that for a young woman who never moved faster than a casual stroll and now very rarely left eh castle, Katherine was quite a fast runner.

I sighed heavily and trotted until I came to a stop. My eyes must have played tricks on my mind as I chased the frantic princess through the corridors, for I came to stop at the end of a hallway, greeted by nothing but a wall with a rather large tapestry. With a sigh, I wiped the sweat from my brow with the back of my paw and turned on my heels, looking back from which I had just come. I was alone and fairly uncertain of where the young raccoon had gone. The corridor ahead was dark and eerily quiet with no sign of the princess. I took a brief rest, leaning against the nearby wall beside the large tapestry. Ironically, the woven portrait depicted Lady Katherine, posing regally for the depiction. Her raven black hair and crimson lips contrasted greatly against the white background…that had a very small streak of blood along the edge. Furring my brows, I pushed against the wall and stood fully, touching my finger to the spot. The red smear as I touched it and some come off on my glove, a clear sign that the stain was made only moments ago. I pulled the cloth to me, inspecting it more closely, when a rush of cold air crept up my paw from behind the tapestry.

"T'is a mystery," I whispered to myself. The air was cold, despite the warmth being radiated from the single torch that was mounted nearby. Carefully, so I would not pull the entire object down, I shifted the portrait of Katherine to the side and was taken back when a partially opened door stood behind. Sticking out my paw, I felt the air coming from the staircase behind the door; icy cold. This was the source of the draft, but had Katherine fled behind the door in an attempt to hide from her belligerent father? Or had I discovered something I should not have? With a knot in my stomach, I decided I would take the venture and climb the stairs. If Katherine had retreated to whatever lay at the top of the stairs, I wished to see her. However, if she was not there to meet me and I discovered something secret, I would surely face the executioner for prying.

Taking the torch from the wall and holding it in front of me, I decided it was worth the risk. I quickly checked around to be sure I was alone before pulling the tapestry to the side and nudging the door open fully with my foot. With the torch being my guiding light, I ventured into the dark passageway hidden behind the door. Once I was sure the cloth was back and place and the door was the way I had found it, I made the slow, quiet, and cold process of climbing the stairs. It was a winding staircase, going up for ages, and was quiet narrow. My shoulders barely squeezed through and if I had my armor on, there would be no way for me to squeeze through the passage. The stones along the walls were lightly damp and icy to the touch. Light from the torch danced across the stones as I trudged up the spiral case, hearing only the flicker of flames from the fire I held. I stopped cold and listened after a few more moments of climbing. It was indeed very soft and faint, but I could certainly hear the occasional whimper and sob of a woman, presumably Katherine. With this sound, I found myself climbing at a faster rate, wanting to get to the princess as quickly as possible.

When I reached the top of the stairs, I was greeted by another great door; this one was closed. From behind the heavy oak, the cries of the woman were louder and unmistakably Katherine's sparrow like voice. She would sniff occasionally, breaking the sobs, before quickly returning to the horrible sounding gasps for breath. With a quick shuffle of my feet, I wasted no time in knocking and simply pushed the heavy door open. It opened with a creak into a small, dark room. A great bed lay in the center and with nothing more than a fireplace, bed table, and a window with an accompanying bench, the room was empty; save for the princess on the floor facing away from me. She was leaning heavily on the bench, with an arm and her head on the fabric covered seat as eh rest of her body was seated somewhat to the side on the stone floor. Once the door opened, she froze in her place and her sobs ceased immediately.

"Milady," I said softly, letting her know it was only me who intruded upon her, "forgive me for entering without a knock. But I feared thee to be in trouble." her head turned sharply to see me, pain instantly throwing itself across her face. Through her pain filled scowl, she flicked her nose towards me, telling me to enter.

"The door," she choked, "close it tightly." I did as she asked, shutting the heavy wooden door behind me and sliding the lock closed. After placing the torch in the holder by the wall, I quickly rushed to the princess, kneeling down beside her and looking over her battered and bruised face.

"My God what hast he done to thee," I whispered to myself as I gently took her face in my paws, pushing it to the light for a better look; considering the only light came from my one torch and the moonlight steaming though the window.

Katherine had a cut across her cheekbone and was bleeding rather heavily. Her tears had mixed with the blood and was running down her cheek. The same side of her face with quite red, from what was apparently the strike her father had landed against her. Her other cheek was forming a bruise and her eyes were red and puffy from her sobs. She highly clutched a paw to her sides, signaling to me that something inside was badly damaged or broken from her fall.

"T'was my fault, Sir Galleth. I should not have angered him."

"Angered or not the king is thy father. No father should ever lay a harmful paw to his daughter. No man should every place a finger upon a woman unless it is with love and concern." I told her firmly. Katherine did not deserve a beating. She bowed her head, accepting my answer.

"Father said that because mother hast lost her baby," she said through a sniff, "then I would be married to another prince; to protect the throne. I told him that I could not marry another, for I did not wish to be sold off to protect his horrid name." she went silent, tears forming in her eyes.

"And he was unhappy?" she nodded, clothing her side more firmly as she moved.

"Sir Galleth I cannot marry someone my father chooses! He will be just as cruel and I refuse!" she practically screamed. I pulled her to me, her head landing on my chest, in an attempt to comfort her to keep her voice down, fearing we would be found. She sobbed into my shirt, her shoulder heaving with each breath she took. Her nails dug into my shirt as she clutched me tightly. Using my thumb, I wiped the blood and tears from her face and tucked her loose hair behind her ear. She was shivering slightly from the cold and quickly returned to resting upon my chest for warmth.

"When does thy father wish to have you betrothed to another, Milady?" she sighed heavily before speaking.

"Not for many moons. He wishes to find a proper suitor so it will take some time." my arm wrapped around her shoulders securely, pressing her small from to my chest.

"Lady Katherine," I whispered into her ear, "I wish thee would not worry. For I swear to thee, here and now, that I shall always protect thee. No matter how this may play out, I promise that I shall always protect thee." she looked up to me.

"Then thou art one of the true few knights left, Sir Galleth." I bowed my head again, lowering my eyes to hers.

"Shall I leave thee, Milady? Or find thee someone to bandage thy wounds?" slowly, she shook her head, her eyes staying with mine all the while.

"Would thou stay?" I smiled, bringing my nose close to hers before speaking.

"Milady, all thou hast to do is say so. Thou dost not need to ask." I brushed my nose against hers as a gentle, affection reminder. However, I then feared for the worst, remembering that she was indeed the princess of the land.

"Milady, do forgive me, t'was a foolish act of me." she said nothing, only looking up to me. With a quick jump, Katherine briefly pressed her soft lips against my cheek in a kiss. I was taken back by her actions, yet grateful.

"T'is alright, Sir Galleth. T'was not foolish of thee, t'was great." she smiled, despite her injuries. I cupped her uncut cheek and smiled in return, remember how little love and attention she received from anyone. Her cheek pressed against my open palm, showing she was alright with the gesture. I stared at her and her at me for the longest of moments, not quite sure where to go from there. Not much more time had elapsed before Katherine once again kissed me, only for her second kiss, her lips pressed against mine and stayed there much longer than they did on my cheek. I was in shock, kissing the princess! It would be the greatest scandal if anyone were to find out…but they weren't. We were secure and alone and Katherine knew this. I did not dwell on these thoughts long, however, and simply returned her affections. The moment couldn't last for eternity and eventually we had to pull away from each other, no matter how much regret was there.

"I must say that I hast grown rather fond of thee, Sit Galleth." Katherine whispered with a wide smile and a bit of a giggle behind.

"And I hast done so as well, Lady Katherine." she started curling her slender finger around a piece of hair again, like she had done earlier before speaking again.

"Sir Galleth, I would much appreciate it if thou would just call me by my name." I bowed my head quickly before wrapping my arms around her again as her head fell back into place against my chest.

"As thou wishes, Katherine." and with that, Katherine and I sat in silence on the floor of the tower room, entertained with each other until the rays of the morning sun gleamed in through the window and reflected off her long, raven hair.


End file.
